Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble to launch their album at the National Concert Hall in March

Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble are set to return to the National Concert Hall for a special performance on Sunday, March 26th, 2023, to mark the release of their debut album Peggy's Dream.

Tickets for the album launch concert go on sale this Friday, December 16th at 10am.

Martin Hayes is a key figure in the world of Irish traditional music and regarded as one of its most significant talents.

With the Common Ground Ensemble, the celebrated fiddle player has created an ensemble with its roots in traditional Irish music, that possesses a wealth of talent spanning trad Irish music, improvisation, arrangement, jazz, avant-garde and cutting edge contemporary classical.

The Common Ground Ensemble comprises Cormac McCarthy (piano, 'Cottage Evolution'), Kate Ellis (cello, Artistic Director of Crash Ensemble), Kyle Sanna (guitar, a collaborator with Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile) and Brian Donnellan (bouzouki / harmonium / concertina, and, like Hayes, an alumnus of The Tulla Céilí Band).

Martin Hayes.

Hailing from Co. Clare, Hayes started playing the fiddle at the age of seven, and won his first of six All-Ireland Fiddle Competitions at 13.

The musician spoke to Hot Press about his love for Irish traditional music and the importance of constant reinvention in 2021, in the wake of the release of his memoir, Shared Notes.

"Every generation gets an opportunity to go, ‘Okay, let’s go right back to the start again and start all over,’" Hayes said at the time. "That’s an important part of any tradition. No tradition can exist as some kind of living artefact – it’s got to actually speak to now. When you hear it, it’s got to touch you, and reach you. It’s got to stay alive, and stay connected to its time, to its place, and to its people.

"So the challenge that arises in all of that, is how to genuinely keep what’s real, true and meaningful – and not lose that thread as you navigate these journeys into the future with the music."

Earlier this year, Martin Hayes joined singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers on stage as a special guest during her Fairview Park concert in June.

Get tickets for Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble at the National Concert Hall on Sunday, March 26th, 2023 at 8pm, here.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 16th at 10am, and are available at different price points: €25, €32.50, €38.50, €42.50.

10% Discount for Friends of NCH, and 10% Discount for Groups of 10 or more.